


Once upon a time in the Mediterranean

by taj_mahal



Category: Tennis RPF
Genre: Bedtime Stories, Canon Compliant, Cute Kids, Family, Fluff, Gen, Holidays, No Slash, One Big Happy Family, Summer Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-16
Updated: 2018-07-23
Packaged: 2019-06-11 15:20:14
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 17,230
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15318369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taj_mahal/pseuds/taj_mahal
Summary: Rafa and Roger decide to spend their downtime together on Rafa's yacht before the start of the Northamerican tournaments.Bringing their families along it turns into a relaxed summer vacation for everyone involved.And every evening there is a new chapter to a nightly bedtime story for Roger's boys.





	1. Day 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everybody.  
> This one popped into my head about two hours ago and wouldn't go away again.  
> I have sort of managed to depress myself with all the hurt/comfort I've been writing as of late and I really needed a little pick me up.  
> So I decided to write something teeth rottingly fluffy during the downtime between tournaments to cheer myself up.
> 
> I'll try for a daily update and I will try to keep it mostly canon compliant. But I'm not making any promises. :D  
> This first chapter is unbetaed. If you find any severe mistakes, let me know please. 
> 
> Hope you like it as well and enjoy!
> 
> <>°O°<>

The idea to spend the downtime in between Wimbledon and the American tournaments together had been a spontaneous one and had come as somewhat as a surprise. Roger had been reluctant at first when Rafa had suggested he bring his family along to spend time with Rafa and his family on that boat of his. It seemed like a tremendously questionable idea. There would be pictures taken, people asking questions as to why they spend so much time together off court, awkward moments to be aware of in their next press conferences.

In the end however it had been his family that had made the decision easier for him. Mirka had loved the idea, the girls had been excited and the boys had actually been elated the very moment both he and Rafa had lost their matches at Wimbledon because that meant they would leave for Ibiza and their summer holidays two days early. There really had been no doubt whether or not they would come along and of course Rafa had been happy when Roger had accepted on behalf of himself and his family. 

Rafa's girlfriend and sister would be joining them as well and Roger had no problem with that. He had seen both women around and though he certainly couldn't say he knew them very well, he felt no animosity or awkwardness towards them. After all Rafa's yacht wasn't exactly small. There would be enough space to keep to oneself if the need would arise. Not that Roger expected that.

It was Monday and it had been a hectic first day but as first days on vacation went it was nothing unusual. They had traveled to Ibiza separately, had met at the port and had taken their time for shopping and getting settled on the boat before leaving the harbor. For today they hadn't gotten far. They had left port in the late afternoon and had anchored in a remote bay that was only accessible via the water in the evening. 

The smell of food was lightly hanging in the air now. They were early for Mediterranean standards but as the boys were supposed to be in bed by 9:30 pm, late dinners were out of the question for the next few days they had planned to spend together. Mirka and Meri – Rafa's girlfriend - had opted for making the meal and he and Rafa were supposed to clean up later. The way Roger felt after the long day of traveling though, cleaning up probably would have to wait until tomorrow. For now however he was pretty much starving.

He and Rafa had settled at the far end of the boat while the girls and Rafa's sister were setting the table. The only ones not involved in the dinner preparations were the boys who were running about the boat, laughing and excited, which would hopefully tire them enough so they would be exhausted in time for bed. It was mostly dark already, the sun had gone down quite a while ago and the two men were sitting side by side on two lounge chairs, watching the night sky illuminate with stars. It was nice and peaceful and cozy and almost a little bit romantic but Roger certainly didn't plan on telling the younger man that. Instead he let Rafa in on the very obvious fact he was hungry. 

„I'm starving... Please tell me there will be something other than fish for dinner...“

„Meri bought chicken. Just for you.“

„I adore that woman. She spoils me...“

„Don't let your wife hear.“

Roger had grinned at that and had taken a swig from the bottle of beer standing next to his chair. He felt... content and happy. He had his doubts before coming here but after that first half day spend together, he was absolutely sure it had been the right decision. They all got along great, the kids were having fun, his wife was happy and he was relaxed and could finally settle and forget about the disaster that had been his quarterfinals at Wimbledon... To some extent he assumed it was the same for Rafa. As content as the younger man had seemed with his level of tennis at the tournament, losing such a close semifinal still had to sting... But it was all in the past now and the next couple of days were all about rest and relaxation.

Dinner had been ready a couple of minutes later and it had been a hearty and loud affair. They were nine people after all, three of them Southern European and four of them children. It made for lively conversation in four different languages and a lot of fun and light-hearted teasing in between the three course meal of salad, a warm dinner and ice cream for desert. Of course Roger had been the butt of most jokes because he was the only one having his separate chicken dinner.

The women were sharing their second bottle of wine and Roger could tell from the soft redness that had spread on his wife's face, that Mirka was just a tiny bit tipsy. He didn't mind. She deserved it. The boys seemed to have picked up on it too because they were still at the dinner table, obviously expecting to stay there until late into the night. Though relaxed, their mother certainly wasn't one to let things slide though – holiday or not. It was 15 minutes past their usual bedtime when Mirka put her foot down, something Roger hadn't had the heart to do yet. 

“Come on, boys. Time for bed.”

“Five more minutes.”

“Bed. Now. Your Dad will tell you a story.”

Rafa had watched the conversation between mother and sons with curious interest. The exchange had been in German but from the way the boys had reacted it was obvious they were supposed to go to bed and didn't want to. Roger got up next to him, holding out both hands for the boys to grab and though there was more complaining, the children complied, stepping inside. 

Rafa left the three women alone to chat and went back to the far end of the boat, looking back up at the night sky, glittering with stars by now. He had missed this... and he was happy to share it. A couple of minutes later Roger reappeared, stepping up to him and looking somewhat lost and just a tiny bit annoyed. Rafa couldn't help but chuckle. He had enough younger cousins to know that getting children to go to bed if they didn't want to could be a monumental task. As it turned out, Roger hadn't exactly managed that task as of yet though. 

„Leo and Lenny refused to go to bed. They asked for a story.“

“Go tell them one then.”

„Apparently my stories are boring.“

„They say that?“

Roger nodded, that sour expression on his face a little more pronounced now, and Rafa was grinning at the reaction. He could vividly imagine the two overexcited boys telling their father that they didn't want to hear some dull story they had heard a hundred times before. This was their first Mediterranean holiday out on sea after all. It was only fair they also expected something new and exciting when it came to bed time stories. Rafa shrugged at Roger, looking back to where the three women were seated, chatting and laughing.

„What about Mirka?“

„She's on her third glass of wine with your girlfriend and sister, no doubt gossiping about us. I don't want to disturb her.“

„Good choice. They deserve it. It was a long two weeks for them too.“

“That leaves you.”

“Me? I can't tell them a story. They know only very little English.”

“So do you. It's perfect.”

“Idiota.”

“You tell the story, I translate.”

Somehow it had been impossible to refuse and Rafa found himself in the bedroom the boys shared. Of course he wasn't allowed to simply come up with an idea. The boys had their on expectations on what kind of a story they wanted to hear. What followed was a rapid exchange with their father in German, which Rafa had no idea what it was about. The fact that Roger translated the boys wished to him, wasn't exactly making matters any easier. The boys certainly were demanding. He grinned as the thought popped into his head that they got that particular trait from their father...

„We want a story with a boat in it!“

„And a pirate!“

„And a buried treasure!“

“And a shark and a crocodile!”

“Alright, alright... A pirate story with a boat a treasure and some evil sea creatures... I'm sure we can handle that, what do you think, Rafa?”

“I'll try...”

*#*#*#*

Once upon a time in the Mediterranean there were two pirates who were very different from one another, each of them with their on boat and their own crew. They had fought many a battle against one another, but they respected each other a lot and they would never do anything to the other that was unfair or intentionally hurtful. All the rest of the seafaring people feared them and they had a grant time living the pirate life. 

Both of them had heard stories about a mysterious treasure buried somewhere at sea, that was so large and so valuable, one would need at least a couple hundred men and more than one ship to gather every last piece of jewels and gold that the treasure contained. It was not a mission to be accomplished by one pirate alone, no matter how brave and clever he was. 

And that was why the two pirates had decided to work together and share the treasure that awaited them. It would be a difficult task though because the treasure was hidden in an underwater cave, guarded by a large white shark and a bloodthirsty crocodile. Many a sailor and other pirate who had tried to find the treasure had never returned from the cave and the two pirates knew that if they wanted a chance to retrieve the treasure they needed to try to do it together, rather than alone. 

Both of them had a part of a very old map that would help them find the location of the treasure and today they were to meet on a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean sea to share their knowledge and come up with a plan on how to retrieve the treasure and come to an agreement on how to share it once they had found it. 

They had chosen a little town on the far side of the island where there were no patrols or military ships that would be a threat to them. They were pirates after all, wanted by the authorities and finding them both together would have been a great opportunity for any military captain all over the wide sea. Because of that they had to be very careful.

They met in the only tavern in the small town to see which information the other one had and what their part of the map showed. In the end they decided to sail to the underwater cave together and split the treasure evenly. They began their preparations because their travels would take them to the far outskirts of the Mediterranean Sea, where it washed into the Atlantic Ocean. It would be a long and perilous journey and they needed to be prepared.

Stockpiling supplies and making sure both their crews and their ships were in the best of conditions, they decided to share a luxurious dinner on the ship of the younger of the two pirates, who had invited the other, a little bit older one to join him. They shared a hearty meal and were excited for the travels that lay ahead of them, looking forward to the journey and the enormous treasure that lay at the end of it. 

*#*#*#*

The boys, who had been listening intently to every word Roger translated, had snuggled into the pillows and blankets after a couple of minutes, their eyes drooping with every minute Rafa continued his little tale and Roger kept relaying the words to the boys in a language they could understand. 

Even Roger himself felt a little bit drowsy listening to the younger man's soft and even tone of voice as he invented the little story for the boys. When Rafa stopped however – both Leo and Lenny very effectively put to sleep – Roger felt the drowsiness drain away. It was replaced by curiosity and the absolute desire to find out right here and now how this cute little story would continue. His inquiry however was met with a smile only. 

“So? I'm curious! How does it continue?”

“You'll find out tomorrow.”


	2. Day 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everybody!  
> Today's update is a little bit rushed as I tried to get it ready in time to keep up with the daily updates.  
> I'm not too happy with the chapter and once again it's unbetaed.
> 
> I hope you like it anyway. 
> 
> <>°O°<>

Roger woke to the warmth of the morning sun on his face. He opened his eyes, turned onto his back and realized he was all alone. A look at the clock on his nightstand told him the reason why. The clock displayed 10:30 am. It was only another hour and a half until midday... In his defense it had been past one in the morning when the small group of adults had dissipated and had retreated to their respective bedrooms. Obviously he had needed a chance to rest and he had needed it so desperately he hadn't even been aware of his wife getting up or the kids roaming about.

Roger got up, showered and got dressed before he went in search of a late breakfast. It was pretty quiet on the yacht, which seemed kind of odd to him, given the fact that his kids had to be around somewhere... The only one he encountered however was Rafa at the table in the lounge next to the kitchen with a glass of orange juice, smiling at him when Roger entered.  
   
“You missed breakfast.”  
   
“I know. I slept in way too late… 10:30 is a little out there, even by my standards. Please tell me there’s coffee?”

Rafa gestured towards the coffee maker on the worktop in the adjacent kitchen and Roger went to get himself a cup. He added milk and settled at the table opposite of the Spaniard, listening intently to any sounds of other people around while he was sipping at his coffee. There was nobody to be heard, not close by anyway. He believed to hear faint laughter and voices but he was possibly imagining things. In the end he relied on Rafa for clarification on the whereabouts of the rest of their little group.  
   
“Where is everybody?”  
   
“At the beach.”  
   
“You didn’t want to go?”  
   
Rafa had pointed outside through the wide windows giving a view of the remote bay the boat was still anchored in and to the beach that lay behind it. Obviously the entire group of both Roger's and Rafa's family members had decided to spend their time at shore today, leaving only him and the younger man behind. Which was why Roger had been so surprised to find Rafa still here. He could only hope it hadn't been only for his benefit so he wouldn't be the only one to stay behind. Somehow he doubted that was the reason. Rafa shook his head in response.

“No need. I like the quiet. Haven't had much of it lately.”

It was a sentiment Roger could wholeheartedly relate to. Tournaments – especially the Grand Slams – were always stressful and hectic and demanding. Getting away from all that to regenerate and relax was an essential part of what this holiday was about. There was no denying that having time to oneself was sparse and therefore Roger fully understood and appreciated why Rafa had decided to stay on his own. He couldn't help but tease though, grinning at the younger man. 

“How can you own a yacht and spent your entire holidays on it but not go swimming?”  
   
“I like this boat. I rather stay on it than off it. And I do go swimming. A lot actually. Just not today.”  
   
„You would be a lousy pirate.“  
   
“I would be a perfect pirate. Most of them couldn’t swim anyway… “  
   
“How would you possibly know something like that?”  
   
“I read.”

Somehow Roger couldn't imagine Rafa reading a book about pirates and their respective lifestyles and abilities. He certainly didn't plan on challenging the younger man's knowledge on the matter though as he himself was utterly clueless, mainly educated by the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies. In those everybody had been able to swim... Roger changed the subject instead. In all their late evening talks the plans for today had not been a topic but he was sure some had been made. Not that he minded this remote spot out on sea close to the shoreline. But he doubted Rafa wanted to stay here for much longer. The plan was to return to Mallorca by the end of this trip eventually.

“Do we have plans for the day?”  
   
“We stay until the afternoon and then we go to Portinatx. They have a couple of nice seaside restaurant there.”  
   
“More fish?”  
   
“I’m sure they have chicken, Roger.” 

A soft smile had spread on Rafa's face at the statement and Roger hid a sigh by drinking another sip of his coffee. It seemed last night's jokes had not grown stale as of yet... The laughter of both his daughters carried over the water as the two girls, who were in the water up to their knees at the shoreline, were splashing water at one another and made Roger look at the beach again. They boys seemed to be engrossed in building a sand castle and the whole scenery was supervised by the three women sharing beach towels, umbrellas and most definitely more conversation.  
   
“They seem to enjoy themselves...”

“They are kids on a beach of course the enjoy it. How about you? Do you want to go?”  
   
“No, I think I’ll stay here. Enjoy the sun, have some more coffee. Maybe find a book to read. One about pirates would be nice…”  
   
“You’re teasing.”  
   
“Quite possibly.”

Roger had settled outside under an umbrella and Rafa had come by only once more to let him know he would get him when it was time to make lunch. As they had been tasked with taking care of that for today apparently. Afterwards the younger man had disappeared somewhere to the other side of the boat and Roger hadn't minded the privacy. After all these last two weeks had been just as demanding for him and he shared the wish and desire to relax and simply be by himself for a little while.  
   
About an hour into his stay outside on one of the deckchairs in the warm breeze of the salty sea air, with voices and laughter carrying from the beach from time to time and properly avoiding the sun burning downby sitting in a shady place, Roger had felt his eyelids drooping. He had put the book he had brought along - and that was not about pirates in the least - into his lap, had closed his eyes and had sworn to himself that it would only be for a minute. After all he had only just woken up and had two cups of coffee...

He woke to the sounds of plates and cutlery clanging together, utterly confused by the fact that a couple of minutes had turned into over an hour and it was past noon already. He pushed himself up and out of the deckchair, following the sounds. As he stepped into the small kitchen he found Rafa putting the finishing touches on a light meal for lunch. He stopped and turned when Roger addressed him.

“Wasn’t I supposed to help you with that?”  
   
“You had fallen asleep when I came to get you and I didn’t want to wake you. You looked like you needed the rest.”  
   
“Did you just call me old?”  
   
“No. Lazy.”

The book that had been laying in Roger's lap and that he had picked up absent mindedly when getting up and stepping inside suddenly sailed past Rafa and ended up a couple of feet away from him on the ground. It had been a reaction born out of instinct and Roger hadn't actually aimed for Rafa. The younger man however acted pretty much as if Roger had acted like a kid throwing a temper tantrum. But he was smiling.  
   
“Stop throwing things, Roger. Is not nice. Bad example for the kids…”  
   
“The kids aren’t here to see. And you threw a tennis ball at me once upon a time if I remember correctly.”  
   
“Not at you. Past you. You moved. Not my fault.”

Roger stared at Rafa, disbelieving of the cheeky grin on hi face. The younger man quite obviously enjoyed teasing him – just as much as Roger had the other way around earlier today. Roger tried to put a stern expression on his face but he knew he was failing horribly at it. It was all just for show anyway.  
   
“You, my estimated colleague and rival, are a bad person!”  
   
“But an excellent pirate.”  
   
They both shared a moment of stupidly grinning at one another before they both broke out into a fit of laughter Roger was sure could be heard on the beach and would need some explaining later on when the rest of their families returned. Roger had helped setting the table and as if on cue the whole group had returned from the beach for lunch about twenty minutes later. They had stayed on the boat and inside until the early afternoon. It was simply too warm to spend any more time outside.  
   
Arriving on the Northern shorelines of Ibiza in the early evening and actually getting back on dry land for their dinner was a nice change in pace and scenery. They enjoyed a nice meal with a stunning view of the sea and watched the sun go down. Their meal was coming to a close and the boys had seemed fidgety and somehow nervous for the past half hour now and by the time desert had been served, Leo went for his father's wrist that carried his watch, holding it up to him. 

“Look, Dad. It’s time for bed. Let's go.”  
   
“My boys want to go to bed early… Can we take you back home after this? I think Mirka would greatly appreciate somebody who can get Leo and Lenny to go to bed early and not throw a tantrum about it…”  
   
The cheeky question had been meant for Rafa and it seemed it was implied that the Spaniard would come along for the bedtime story. Mirka had been smiling at her husbands words. Rafa had almost forgotten about the story they had started telling the boys yesterday over the course of the day. But the boy seemed anxious to hear more and after all he had promised Roger he would find out how the story progressed tonight. They went back to the boat while the women and the girls stayed at the restaurant. Roger took care of getting the boys washed up and ready for bed and twenty minutes later they were tugged in and ready to listen...

*#*#*#*  
   
After making all their plans and preparations the next morning was the day the two pirate captains and their crew and ships would leave for their treasure hunt. But in all their excitement to get on the way and start the journey to the treasure, the two pirate captains had been a little bit careless. One of the patrol ships of the local military had been close by and had found out they were anchoring right near the small town where they had met to make their plans. They were being followed the moment they set sail.

At first they tried to outrun the other ship following them but they quickly had to realize that running away was not an option. The other ship was bigger than theirs, with more men aboard and more firepower. The longer cannons gave them more range, which meant that they could attack, while the two pirates could only try and evade. They had to risk the safety of their ships and crew, while their opponent could fire at them without having anything to fear. 

But the pirates had two ships and there was only one hunter following them. Working together to fight off their attacker was their best chance, even if it meant taking a risk. The size of their ships was actually an advantage because they were quicker and nimbler, easier able to outmaneuver their opponent.

In the end the fight was inevitable but with their combined strength and agility, they had a real chance. The military patrol ship that had been so easily able to trouble them and shot wave after wave of cannon fire at them as long as they had been running, was no match for them in closer combat. 

The wind had shifted in their favor as well, making it easier to maneuver and put their ships into a position, where they were able to shoot their cannons at their opponent and then quickly maneuver out of the way before the canon crew on the other ship had reloaded their own heavy canons and was ready to fire. It was a ferocious battle but in the end turning and fighting instead of running away turned out to be the only thing for them to do to be victorious. 

The battle raged for a long time and there were people injured on both ships and damages done to the vessels but it was nothing compared to what the military patrol ship had to endure. The battle turned in favor of the two pirate captains and after several hours of fierce combat, they were the ones having the upper hand. This time they were able to sail away because the opposing military ship was no longer able to follow. 

They left the ship that was listing heavily and from which the smoke of several fires burning was still rising into the clear summer sky behind, sailing into the open sea. There had been danger for them today but in the end they had prevailed, working together and outsmarting their opponent. They had managed to fight off their hunter and were now underway, their adventure now starting for real.

*#*#*#*

After the boys had gotten the bedtime story they had been looking forward to so much, Rafa and Roger had settled back on deck in the same spot as yesterday evening, lounging in the deckchairs, sharing a quiet moment and waiting for the female members of their little traveling group to return. Ever since Rafa had told today's... episode of the story, one thought hadn't left Roger's mind though and in the end curiosity won him over. Unfortunately Rafa seemed to enjoy keeping an element of mystery to the story. After all – and Roger could appreciate that thought - it was all about imagination... 

“I'm curious about one thing?”

“Mh?”

“Who was the evil pirate hunter in your story tonight? Who did you have in mind?”

“I leave that to your imagination.”


	3. Day 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of sexual innuendo in today's chapter but it's all in good fun. :)  
> Today the chapter is actually betaed as I finished earlier than I anticipated.  
> Enjoy!
> 
> <>°O°<>

They had stayed in port for the night and had spent another late evening after the kids had all been sent to bed. The next morning Roger was up a lot earlier. Waking his wife and helping her get the kids ready for breakfast. This time it was Rafa who showed up for breakfast last, about half an hour after the rest of the vacationing group had settled at the table. The Spaniard looked pale and tired when he finally showed up and refrained from having any breakfast at all. Roger's face creased into a frown at the sight of the younger man. 

“You don’t look too good.”

“Thanks a lot.”

“I meant to say you look a little pale. Are you okay?”

“Headache. It happens. Once the tension drains away I tend to get them. It’s good though, it means I’m starting to relax.”

Rafa smiled just a little, which seemed an odd reaction to the fact that he was suffering from a headache and was quite obviously in discomfort. The physical reaction to the relief of stress was not an uncommon one but Roger still stared at the younger man in disbelief.

“Only you could be happy about a headache.”

“Only you would tell somebody who is sick that they look bad.”

“Guys stop bickering. You sound like an old married couple.”

Mirka was interfering on behalf of the entire group as the two men engaged in yet another verbal sparring match. She wasn't wrong though. They were arguing quite a lot, though it was all meant in good fun and Roger couldn't help but send a cheeky reply his wife's way, that Mirka didn't exactly appreciate. 

“And I thought that was you and me…”

“Only speak for yourself, my dear husband. I am by no means old… and I resent to be implicated.”

“I seem to have a case of foot in the mouth this morning. Antagonized the wife, antagonized the owner of the boat I’m staying on… How about a change of topic? Plans?”

It was an unspoken apology but Roger was in luck as both Mirka and Rafa were obviously willing to accept it. His wife was giving him a docile smile and focused on finishing her cup of coffee. Rafa answered Roger's question without commenting to their previous bickering, following the change in topic and relaying the information for today's plans.

“Mari wanted to meet with a friend she only found out last night is on the island as well and we thought you would like to take the kids on a little trip? There’s a cave nearby that you can visit. They even have a light show and a waterfall... I think the boys would enjoy it especially.”

“And what are you two going to do?”

“Rest. Relax. Make sure Rafa feels better by the time you return.”

It was Rafa's girlfriend who answered the question before the younger man could. There was a cheeky tone to her voice and a distinctly mischievous smile on the woman’s face. Sitting next to her trying very hard to look completely innocent and inconspicuous at the innuendo implied in his girlfriends answer completely outdone by the fact that there was the softest shade of pink to Rafa’s cheeks.

“Mmhh. Well... have fun.”

Leaving the couple alone on the boat, Roger and his family had been on dry land and on their way to the nearby cave that had been suggested to them as a great sightseeing spot for the kids 40 minutes later and Roger was still hung up on the fact that Rafa and his girlfriend had stayed behind on the yacht. Making sure that the kids were way ahead of them and out of earshot, Roger inquired his wife's opinion about it.

“You do know what they are going to do, don’t you?”

“Don’t act so appalled. You sound like an inexperienced teenager.”

“They are going to have sex!”

“Well of course they are. They are a couple after all! It’s their boat, their holidays and their decision to do as they please… with one another.”

Mirka was grinning at her own statement and Roger made a face at her choice of words. It seemed everybody on the group had reached a point where they felt truly relaxed around one another and happy to share this vacation. Why that had resulted in somewhat dirty jokes and sexual innuendo being tossed around Roger had no idea. 

“Ugh… thanks for the imagery. There’s a picture in my head I really didn’t need.”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have agreed to vacation together then. It’s not exactly a cruise ship after all… Next time we might not be on a day trip when they…”

“Stop!”

“You started it.”

“And now I end it. No more talking about other people’s love life.”

Mirka nodded in approval and judging from the smile on his wife's face she was pleased she had managed to shut him up and leave the couple, and whatever they planned on doing to spend their afternoon alone on their boat, alone. Their day out on the island turned into a full success, especially for the kids, who thoroughly enjoyed both the trip and the chance to spend time with their parents.  
When they returned to the port and the boat in the early evening the kids were exhausted but happy. 

Going in search for a glass of water while his wife ushered the kids to their respective rooms, Roger found Rafa sitting in the lounge, looking a lot better than this morning. Color had returned to his face and he looked overall happy and relaxed. Roger couldn't help but inquire after the younger man's afternoon and the whereabouts of his better half in a teasing tone.

“You look better. Relaxed… Where’s your girlfriend?”

“Taking a nap.”

“Must have been exhausting taking care of you and your headache...”

Rafa didn't exactly answer but that shade of pink had returned to the younger man’s cheeks. Rafa was very quick to change the subject and Roger decided to let him off the hook. After all it hadn't been too long ago he had told his wife he would no longer meddle in other people's love life...

“We thought you could choose where to go for dinner today?”

“Actually we stopped for grocery shopping on the way back.”

“You’re going to cook?”

“Mirka’s going to cook. I’ll help.”

“Don’t throw any books at her.”

Instead of the profanity on the tip of his tongue, Roger gave Rafa a playfully exasperated look...  
The younger man didn't seem to mind and was still chuckling when he got up, gave Roger a pat on the shoulder in passing and walked away to leave the older man and his wife to the task at hand of getting dinner organized for the whole group. It was a steak and salad dinner, with ice cream and cookies for desert and just like the night before the boys were anxious to hear more of their pirate bedtime story. 

*#*#*#*

After outgunning and then outrunning the pirate hunter just off the coast the day before, the two pirate captains had now reached the open water and did what any seafaring man did best. They sailed the high seas getting closer and closer to their goal of reaching and finding the buried treasure with every hour that passed.

As both captains knew where the journey would have to take them and that with the hunter probably returning to the island sooner or later and letting the authorities know where the pirates were and which way they had sailed, time was of the essence for them. After all others would be interested in the treasure as well and knowing that the two pirates worked together it was only a matter of time before others would try to find them to try and get their parts of the treasure map or even the treasure itself, depending on when they would be intercepted.

It was important that they would reach their destination quickly but so far fate seemed to be on their side. The wind was blowing favorably, the weather was friendly and the sea was calm. It were perfect conditions to travel on the sea and even though it was hard work for the crews on both ships, men were singing while working on the decks and in the rigging of the sails. They all knew an adventure and a big payout awaited them, once they found what they were looking for.

The day came and went and this time it was the older one of the two captains inviting the younger one over on his ship for a meal and a bit of drinking. They had a good time together, shared many a joke and a laugh and it was late into the night, the sea dark and the sky full of stars when they parted ways and went to sleep. 

Tomorrow would be a new day on their journey into the unknown.

*#*#*#*

Finishing today's episode of the bedtime story Rafa had left Roger alone with the kids to say goodnight to them. Roger had sensed the boys were a little disappointed tonight and neither one of them were hiding their feelings. Roger couldn't help but smile. Rafa had seemed a little preoccupied but to his credit Roger had to admit today had been a somewhat strange day... 

“Tell him we want more action!”

“Well he wasn’t feeling too well today. You know how you have a hard time doing anything if you feel sick?”

Both boys nodded in unison at that.

“Be patient. I’m sure tomorrow it will be a more exciting tale.”

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

When Roger returned back on deck, Rafa was in the kitchen, getting himself something to drink. Roger went to tell the younger man the verdict Leo and Lenny had for tonight's installment of the story, but he did so with a cheeky grin and a bit of a light-hearted joke on his lips. After all it had been the very fact that the boys had been bored by hearing the same bedtime stories over and over again that was the reason Rafa had been tasked with telling them something new. 

“Well apparently I’m not the only one telling boring stories around here.”

“I can stop.”

One might have imagined Rafa wasn't taking the joke well but it wasn't meant as spite when he suggested that Roger or Mirka take over the story telling again. It was the honest and indulgent desire to make sure the boys were having a good time. Roger shook his head in response and grinned at the younger man.

“Just make sure you add a pirate ghost ship or something for tomorrow. I’m sure they’ll love that.”


	4. Day 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't manage an update yesterday. Hope you don't mind...  
> This one is unbetaed yet again.   
> Would appreciate some feeback though please ? :)  
> Have fun with this one.
> 
> <>°O°<>

The next day was not what Roger has expected of a summer morning in the Mediterranean. The weather seemed to have taken a drastic turn for the worse over the course of the night. It was a lot cooler than it had been the day before, the sky overcast and the sea an unappealing grey instead of the bright azure blue it had been for the last two days. His t was nowife seemed to have a problem with the sudden chance in weather conditions and had stayed in bed with a headache. 

The kids were somewhere about, not happy with the weather either and Rafa and his family were still at breakfast. Roger was greeted by the younger man with a rather obvious assessment of the situation that seemed to be such a blatant underestimation that he couldn't help but feel a little exasperated though there was no venom to his words when he pointed out the window with a somewhat helpless gesture.   
   
“We might be in for a bit of bad weather today.”

“Might be? Have you looked out a window lately?”

“Is not so bad. It will be better tomorrow. Where’s your wife?”

The sudden change in topic caught Roger off guard but he liked the fact that there was so much sympathy and interest for one another. Not feeling exactly up for a big meal, Roger settled for coffee for breakfast and shrugged in response to the previous question.

“She stayed in bed. This weather isn’t agreeing with her… That and maybe half a glass of wine too much last night…” 

They sat together for a little while, Rafa explaining that – despite the weather – they planned t leave for Formentera today. They would mostly stay close to the shorelines though and not exactly leave for open waters which meant that the weather conditions weren't that much of a problem. Somehow – even as a layman – Roger couldn't share Rafa's cam enthusiasm for today's trip. 

Inside the port the sky and sea only looked unappealing and not like a summer day was supposed to. Beyond the protection of the bay and the harbor walls though, the waves seemed pretty high to Roger’s untrained eye. It didn’t take a nautical genius though to estimate that they would be in for a rough day traveling in this kind of water… He shot a hopeful look at Rafa, hoping to find him sympathetic to the solution Roger had come up with. 

“Wouldn’t it be better to stay another day?”

“It will be fine, Roger. It’s just a bit of wind.”

“Doesn’t look like ‘a bit’ to me…”

Roger knew he was by no means an expert on the matter and this wasn't his boat and therefore not his decision to make but that didn't mean he wasn't entitled to an opinion. Unfortunately the younger man didn't exactly seem to share it... There was a touch of concern to the question but mostly Rafa was simply teasing him . It seemed to turn into some kind of theme for these holidays… 

“You don’t get sea sick, do you?”

“Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve never had to find out until now.”

Roger refrained from telling Rafa that he didn't really want to find out today either Plans had already been made and it seemed there would be no diversion from this place. There was one more point of concern for him though and it was definitely a valid one.

“What about the kids?”

“They will be fine. They shouldn’t be outside unsupervised though…”

“Great… Cooped up on the boat in bad weather. They are going to love that…”

Rafa shrugged his shoulders at that, obviously already with a fail safe in mind. Roger hadn't expected anything else. Given how much the boy's disappointment had bothered Rafa last night, it was no surprise he had come up with a plan to entertain the kids on this bad weather day. 

“They can come to the bridge and help. It’s something interesting to do and it’s a great view, even in this weather.”

“And that’s safe?”

“It’s a boat, Roger, not a spaceship. It’ll be fine.”

“Don’t blame me if they break something.”

Rafa had chuckled at that and though Roger was sure the younger man knew what he was doing, he still opted to stay alongside the kids as well to watch them and interfere if they got too excited at the prospect of being right in the center of the navigational task. He needn't have worried though. The kids were fascinated at the prospect and unlike their parents the kids seemed to have o problem with the wind and the waves that only got worse as soon as they left port.

Roger had settled on the bridge as well, overlooking the sea ahead and feeling anything but okay. Rafa’s girlfriend had bestowed a bottle of water on him and had told him to take little sips. It was probably good advice and meant in a helpful way but unfortunately the water did nothing to quell the nausea… Rafa- who was focused on navigation and keeping the kids in check mostly – shot Roger a sympathetic look from time to time and finally decided to comment.

“You don’t have to stay here.”

“I’m fine.”

“Really? You’re looking a little green.”

There was the softest of grins on Rafa's face and Roger had no energy to argue with him on his assessment. He was pretty sure he was pale but certainly had no greenish tinge to his pallor. Instead of talking about his nausea at length, he did his best to change the subject and deviate from the fact he wasn’t feeling well.

“The kids love it,  that much is for sure.”

“They get to play crew and captain. Of course they love it. The boys especially. I think I redeemed myself for last night’s boring story.”

Roger nodded at that, the movement making him feel even more queasy. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then did as Meri had told him and took small sips of water. Another one of those nasty waves hitting the boat sideways instead of from the front send another stab of nausea through him. Obviously it did show on his face because Rafa gave him a sympathetic smile. 

“Just go lie down, relax and rest. We’ll take care of the kids.”

“Are you sure?”

“I have a lot of younger cousins, Roger. I know how to take care of kids.”

It had been all the incentive Roger had needed to join his wife back in bed. He knew he could trust Rafa to make sure the kids would be okay and he himself wasn’t much help feeling the way he felt right now anyway. Following through on the advice and lying down to rest sounded like a perfect idea. His wife certainly seemed to appreciate not being alone in the bed anymore.

As nauseous as they both felt, they enjoyed the other's company and there was still something soothing to the way the boat moved with the water and after hours on end feeling lousy and wanting nothing more but to lie down, it didn’t take long for him to fall asleep next to his wife, holdng her hand.

It was late evening when he woke up again and it seemed the weather was finally better, the waves calmer and even the sun had made it’s first appearance of the day. Deciding he had left his host and his family alone for long enough, Roger got up again to go in search of Rafa and find out of an afternoon of taking care of four kids in adverse weather conditions had worked out. It seemed they had anchored already and the navigational part of today's trip was over for the day. He found Rafa at the bow of the yacht. 

“Looks like the worst is passed now… How did it go with the kids?”

“It was a little adventurous trying to find a way to talk to one another but we managed. They had fun, Maribel made them a late lunch and they are in the back playing a board game with Meri right now.”

He knew how the kids could be when it came to playing games where only one of them could win. Given the language barrier with the only adult present, he decided it was best to play mediator. 

“I better go check on them before your girlfriend decides to throw one of them overboard.”

“We got along so far.”

“Yeah but you’ve never seen them play a game together. They are very competitive children. Don’t like to lose.”

“I wonder where they get that from.”  
   
Roger responded with a cheeky grin and a shrug at Rafa's jab in his direction. He certainly didn't mind. Today hadn't exactly been a good day for him and his wife in this bad weather, but the kids seemed t have had a good time and now the sunny summer weather seemed to be back. All in all today had worked out okay and the windy, almost stormy weather gave Rafa a perfect opportunity to tell a more suspenseful bedtime story tonight.   
   
*#*#*#*

After a very calm first day on the open sea, the two pirate captains ran into a bit of bad luck on the next day. It was not to be anticipated. One moment the weather was warm and well and the sea was calm and the next they were in a lot of trouble. A storm was brewing on the horizon coming closer and closer to the two sailboats very very quickly. Weather on the high seas could be dangerous and even the best of captains could run into trouble like this...

The storm came so quickly and unexpectedly that they had no chance to avoid or sail around it. The only way was to sail through it even if it was dangerous. The waves around their ships grew higher and higher, lightning and thunder were rumbling around them and a heavy rain fell from the sky that was suddenly overcast by thick gray clouds.

Soon enough the waves were crashing down on the ships relentlessly. Those of the crew that weren’t absolutely needed were sent below deck for their own safety. Almost all of them didn’t know how to swim and were very afraid to be washed overboard. Below deck water was leaking into the lower decks and the crew had manned the pumps to keep their ships from sinking.

The men who were working the rigging and sails were the most unfortunate of them all because in wind and rain they had to work high above the ground, make sure the sails were trimmed in order not to gather too much of the harsh wind and risk the masts to bend and break under the strain which would have been their doom. 

Now it was also a big problem that the two captains had decided to work and sail together because the wind and the high waves were making it very difficult to keep their ships on course and they threatened to collide which would have caused a lot of damage and maybe even for both ships to sink.

It was a lot of hard work to keep their ships on course and fight against the raging storm trying to bring them down and sink their ships. The storm raged on for hours, sending wave after wave of icy cold sea water over the decks, leaving people drenched to the bone and feeling miserable about it. The crew was not in a good mood but they all worked hard and gave it their all to make sure they would manage to get through this bad weather without further harm.

As the day slowly drew to a close, the storm lessened little by little and by the early evening hours the rain had stopped and the waves were n longer higher than the ships themselves any more. The deck crew had been relieved, the cold and drenched men taking a well deserved break and getting their first warm meal of the day

*#*#*#*

They were able to pick up their evening ritual of the last few days and settled down at a quiet spot on the deckchairs at the bow of the yacht, watching the night sky. After the somewhat lost day spend with nausea and sleep, Roger was still hung up on both the drastic change in weather and the way Rafa had adapted today's events for the story he told the boys. 

“I couldn’t imagine going through that.”

“Be happy this isn’t a sail boat. Today would have been more difficult. And a lot more work.”  
Roger actually had to swallow down a tiny lump in his throat at that. Operating a sail boat sounded kind of adventurous in theory… 

“Yeah, I can imagine… Thanks by the way.”

“For the story?”

“For taking care of the kids today. You should be careful though – that idea of taking you back home to play the nanny grows more appealing every day.”


	5. Day 5

They had arrived at the coast of the smallest of the Balearic islands – Formentera – late last night and had planned another day on the beach. After both the excitement and the health problems of the last day, spending some more time simply lying in the sand, enjoying the sun and dipping their feet in the water from time to time seemed like a perfect way to spend the day. He was curious to find out if Rafa would be willing to leave his precious boat today. 

It seemed yesterday had been kind of a fluke because the next morning of their vacation was yet another beautiful and sunny one, with barely a breeze moving the waves around. It was almost like they were traveling on a pond instead of the sea... Both weather conditions had one thing in common though, they were awful had this actually been a sailboat. Having too much wind or none at all was both equally bad. But it wasn't a problem they had to concern themselves with.

As on the previous days the group met at breakfast and of course the Spaniard couldn't help but tease Roger, who had been so sure that the bad weather would be a feature that would stay on for the rest of their journey yesterday. Even last night when the sky had cleared Roger hadn't expected such a beautiful day today. He didn't mind the bickering though. Better that than to sit around cooped up on the boat in the rain for another week. 

“See, I told you it would be better today.”

“I'm glad. Another day like yesterday is not what I need on vacation.”

The kids were already excited and couldn't wait to get to the beach, wolfing down their breakfast and being told by their mother to slow down and eat like normal human beings instead of a pack of wild animals or they wouldn't be allowed to go. It helped to some extent and Roger who had been watching the exchange instead of interfering, focused his attention on Rafa and his plans for the day.

“Will you come along with us today?”

“I rather would have stayed but I have been informed by both my girlfriend and my sister that shutting myself off and being a loner makes me antisocial and a bad host.”

“Well, there are smart women in your life. They are right. So you do come along?”

“Yes. All just for you.”

Rafa managed to deliver the response with a straight face but didn't manage to keep it for long, starting to grin in the process. Roger was sure Rafa was actually listening to his family on this one but it wasn't just for his benefit or the benefit of Mirka and the kids. It was all meant in good fun anyway and as yet another tease, which had become so frequent and common over the course of the last couple of days. 

They were on the beach less than an hour later and had taken what felt like half the inventory of the yacht with them. They were equipped with a cool box full of food and drinks, deckchairs, beach towels, umbrellas and enough toys to make sure the kids certainly wouldn't grow bored over the course of the day. While the girls mainly stayed close to the shoreline and played at the water, the boys had other ideas and they insisted on having the only two male adults around included in their plans – a desire Roger gladly relayed to Rafa. 

“The boys want to build sandcastles and they want us to join them. You help Leo, I help Lenny.”

“How about we simply join in all together and make one big castle?”

Roger translated the idea back to the boys and as he had expected they weren't very keen on the idea. Twins or not, they didn't usually want to do everything together. As Roger had already told Rafa last night – all of his kids had a competitive streak. As of that they were mainly concerned with who would be able to build the better, larger, more impressive castle. Luckily Rafa had a simple answer to that. 

“But who wins?”

“You both win.”

The boys grinned at one another and it seemed the decision was settled now. It turned into quite a lot of work especially because the boys came up with idea after idea how to improve and enlarge their building project. In the end it turned into a castle build out of buckets full of sand, surrounded by a sand wall full of battlements in regular intervals and a moat on the outside. It turned into quite an exhausting but fun afternoon task for all four male participants. Roger was the first to admit that a little bit of childish fun certainly was something to enjoy. 

“I haven't done something like this in a while. I missed it...”

“And you lost track of time.”

“What makes you say that?”

“You forgot the sunscreen. You have sunburn.”

Rafa was grinning at him now, no signs of sympathy for Roger's plight showing on his face whatsoever. As if on cue the older man only now realized that especially his back and shoulders felt a little warm and uncomfortable. It was bearable but of course it could have been avoided had he been a little more careful. He was unwilling to look within himself for the one who had made a mistake here. After all he had been very preoccupied with helping his sons build their castle... 

“It's all Mirka's fault. She took care of the kids but not of me...”

“Because she's your wife, not your mother.”

“Thanks a lot! Very helpful!”

“Go sit in the shade, Roger. I think we're done anyway. Maybe the girls want to decorate a little. With seashells or something.”

Roger had done as he had been told, actually managing to get Mirka to help him out with his now aching back. The girls had been delighted at the idea to decorate their brother's work and they had all taken a lot of pictures of the finished version of the big sandcastle before they had left for the yacht and both boys as well as the girls putting the finishing touches on the little building project were very proud. They couldn't talk about anything else during dinner and the boys were still talking about it when it was time for them to go to bed. 

*#*#*#*

After their very exciting but exhausting day fighting the storm the two pirate captains had met the next morning to see if they could find out how far off course the storm had taken them. As it turned out, the storm had actually been a good thing because it had taken them closer to the spot on the treasure map they were trying to find. It was only a couple hours longer and both captains and their crew were glad they had managed to stay unharmed and their ships undamaged until now.

There had been no further sightings of ships hunting them or other pirates around and this way they didn't have to be extra careful when they reached their destination. There was nobody there who would try to take the treasure from them. Their destination seemed to suddenly appear in the sea like it had been invisible until moments ago but it was just a trick the sun and the sea played on them.

It was a tiny little island right in the middle of the ocean and with an ocean so big it was no wonder so little people knew about it and only the map the two pirate captains had, had helped them to find it. Unfortunately the island was surrounded by cliffs and there were no bays or natural ports where they could anchor their ships and get on dry land to explore the island.

The details of their treasure map showed that there had to be some sort of canyon just off the coast, cutting into the land and leading to the cave where the treasure lay. They decided to go around the island to find that specific spot and it took until the early afternoon until they were successful. Unfortunately the canyon turned out to be a lot smaller than the two captains had anticipated. 

They had to take a rowboat to explore the canyon and the island that lay beyond it. It was hard work to find their way into the canyon against the wave and the current but once they had managed the water was getting calmer and even though they still had to work against the current, they were easier able to maneuver now.   
Still it was quite a while for them to maneuver through the water with the high cliff walls on each side, before they finally found what they had come here for. The cave came into view as they turned the next narrow corner of the canyon. They had reached their destination. The cave with the treasure in it lay ahead ...


	6. Day 6

Their next day was one of two days that had them completely away from any of the islands and only surrounded by the sea. It would be the first day when all there was to do was to go swimming and enjoy the fact that they would have a stretch of the ocean all to themselves without anyone watching or taking pictures... which was quite a luxury, especially for Rafa and Roger.

It was only a couple of minutes past six in the morning when Roger woke up, but he felt sort of ants and sleep refused to return to him. He decided to get up instead, get himself some coffee and maybe try for a nap in the afternoon. It wasn't like he had anything else of importance planned. These were holidays after all...  
He was surprised to realize he wasn't the only or the first one up when he stepped out on deck with his coffee in hand. Roger had heard footsteps at first and soon realized it was Rafa who was there already, coming back up from the bow of the ship, water dripping from his hair. Roger was sure to see the younger man flinch who obviously hadn't expected any company at this hour of the morning. Roger however was equally as surprised. 

“You’re up early… and dripping wet and in a towel…”

“See, I told you I swim.”

“Please tell me you don’t do it naked…”

“Don’t make me throw my swim shorts at you!”

“Better those than that towel.”

“I'll go shower. You can make coffee. Do something useful.”

“You mean other than teasing you about your swim shorts?”

“Yes!”

Rafa walked off with a huff and a frown and Roger couldn't help but grin. It was the first time for what felt like days that he had actually managed to not be on the receiving but on the giving end of the excess teasing that had been going on between him and Rafa mostly. It was nice to have the upper hand for once and he was sure the younger man didn't mind the banter, even if he had acted like it. 

After a day of bad weather and another day spend entirely at the beach, every member of their little group seemed excited about the prospect of a full day out on the ocean, with a chance to go for a swim whenever they wanted or to simply find a spot on deck to rest, relax and enjoy the sun. It was a joyous day for the whole group and at that it seemed to rush by in a blur as these kind of vacationing days sometimes did. 

At sunset the three women had disappeared into the kitchen to start with some of the dinner preparations and the kids were all in the girls' room watching a movie. Roger and Rafa had the deck to themselves once again and had settled at their usual spot to watch the sun go down. It was a nice, quiet moment but as much as Roger enjoyed it, he couldn't help but comment on how happy and relaxed he felt about it all. 

“It's beautiful.”

“I know. It's part of the reason why I like doing this so much. Nothing better to help you relax.”

“That and the privacy.”

“It isn't always as private as you might think. Especially if I'm just off the coast somewhere...”

“You mind?”

“It's not like I can change it.”

“Well out here we are definitely alone.”

Rafa shot Roger a look that was somewhere between suspicion and amusement. There was a mischievousness to both Roger's tone and the expression on his face and it wasn't all that hard to put two and two together, though Rafa couldn't hide the tiny bit of distaste he felt as the topic they had discussed this morning came up for a second time. 

“Are you still implying I went for a swim naked?!”

“I never actually saw those swim shorts you were talking about.”

Roger had a wide grin on his face now that quickly dissipated when Rafa suddenly got up and disappeared to the inside. For a quick moment Roger was almost sure he had insulted the younger man but he was wrong. Rafa returned pretty quickly with something in his hands and seconds later a set of – mercifully dry – swim shorts were thrown at Roger. He picked them up and couldn't help a chuckle as the Spaniard had give him the perfect ammunition for another pun. 

“See. Now I believe you. But don't throw things at me, Rafael. It's not nice and a bad example for the kids.”

Rafa's reaction was one that was definitely Spanish and definitely a profanity. But the younger man was smiling. It was probably best they were alone at this moment. The way they were behaving Roger was sure both their respective partners would have said they were acting worse than even Leo and Lenny would after having eaten a ton of sweets... But Roger felt it was okay – after all boys will be boys... 

*#*#*#*

Having finally found the treasure cave they had been looking for, the two pirate captains were very excited. But their excitement also made them a little bit careless and they didn't pay extra attention to their surroundings as. They should have though because they weren't all alone right there in front of the cave at the end of the canyon. 

There were two sea creatures guarding and protecting the cave – a great white shark and a crocodile, trying to fight of anyone who got too close to the mysterious cave full of treasures beyond imagination. Now the two pirate captains knew nothing of this because as detailed as their map was, there was no warning about anyone or anything guarding the cave...   
But the two sea creatures were there in fact and almost as soon as the two pirates showed up, they attacked the little rowing boat, making it rock back and forth so abruptly and badly that the older one of the two pirates was thrown overboard. Luckily he was one of the few members on his crew who actually knew how to swim. But not drowning was the least of his problems at the moment. 

As soon as the great white shark felt the splash of water it knew there was somebody in the water and it reacted immediately. Before the older one of the captains had a chance to allow his younger partner in this operation to help him back into the boat, the shark was suddenly there. Fortunately the animals aim was very bad but it still managed to catch the older pirate, biting him and causing a bleeding wound on his left upper arm.

The two sea creatures did not attack the boat again, as the younger of the two pirate captains reacted quickly and maneuvered them back into the narrow canyon and away from the cave. No that the threat was averted, the sea creatures returned back to normal, waiting for the next careless traveler or treasure hunter to come here. 

Of course the two pirate captains weren't willing to give up so easily after all. They had come all this way out here and had faced pirate hunters and storms. They wouldn't simply give up. But their task had gotten a lot more difficult all of a sudden. The one concerned, the other dripping wet and bleeding a little from the wound on his arm where the shark had bitten him, knew one thing for sure. They needed to come up with a plan of diversion.


	7. Day 7

Roger had been a little exasperated the night before but once again it had been mostly a matter of joking. After all Rafa had chosen him – or his version of himself in the bedtime story – to be the one who was bitten by a shark. It seemed however Rafa was feeling – if not a little guilty – at least a little preoccupied at the content of his story, asking Roger about it the next day after breakfast. 

“The boys? Did they sleep okay?”

“Why, because you put monsters in the story? They slept perfectly. They've been waiting for the sea monsters to appear for almost a week now. They were happy.”

“They like strange things.”

“They like you.”

It was yet another one of those cheeky insults that had been flying around the yacht ever since they had come together here. Rafa awarded him with a frown and one raised eyebrow but didn't comment and Roger kept a chuckle to himself. Quite frankly he had meant it as a compliment because the fact remained that the boys had really grown to like the Spaniard. 

As it turned out even though they had slept well, there was still an adverse reaction from the boys to the way the bedtime story had progressed the night before. After breakfast, as their older sisters were already in the water, enjoying their time and having fun, the two boys strictly refused to leave the boat, no matter what their mother tried to tell them and how she tried to assure them. Finally she seemed to realize there was more to the story and she looked to her husband for an explanation.

“Why do the boys not want to go into the water?”

“Because Rafa put a vicious shark in the bedtime story.”

“It’s not vicious! And I didn’t put it there. The boys wanted it.”

Roger had hardly even been aware of the fact that Rafa was close enough to listen in on the conversation that - as they were in the company of the rest of their traveling group – had happened in English. He was very eager to make sure he was not to be held responsible though, as he had only done as he had been told – as any good host should. But it didn't do much to appease Mirka.

“They are four years old. They want chocolate cake for dinner! They don’t get that either.”

“What are you yelling at me for? Rafa told the story!”

“I’m not yelling. I’m getting my point across.”

“Yes. Loudly.”

“You are their father. And you translated.”

Having gotten that point across – and not argued with him as she had insisted – Mirka staked off to the boys again, giving it another try to convince them not to be scared of the water... and the creatures that were lurking beneath the surface. Roger shot a look at the Rafa, who had listened but was trying very hard to look entirely innocent about the whole matter. 

“How come even if you do something wrong you still end up being the good guy?”

“Charm. Lots and lots of it.”

It had taken some convincing from both parents to coax the boys back into the water. Finally it had been Rafa's idea to use the narrative of the story, telling the boys that sharks were no different in real life than they were in the story and that they would only appear and attack if threatened. As the boys certainly didn't plan to hurt any sea creature or take something from them, there was no need to be scared. Roger settled down next to the Spaniard smiling contently.

“See, they are okay now.”

“I still don't think the shark was a good idea.”

“They loved the shark. Stop worrying.”

Rafa shrugged his shoulders in response but still seemed hung up on the whole problem the part of the story had created for the kids and their parents. He had an excellent point but Roger decided to brush it off anyway. 

“Mirka didn't like the shark.”

“Mirka isn't telling or translating the story. She doesn't get a say.”

“I can go and tell her.”

“Don't you dare!”

Rafa who had been about to get up and had been stopped by Roger's rather panicked appeal, settled back down and grinned at the older man. Now that the boys weren't scared any more and their mother had been appeased, Roger was curious to find out what Rafa had planned for the story time tonight. 

“So... more sharks tonight?”

“Maybe....”

*#*#*#* 

After the encounter with the shark and the crocodile and the attack on their boat, the two captains had dinner together that same night and tried to come up with an idea on how to deal with the problem at hand. They had invited the ship's doctor to join them and he took care of the bite on the older pirate captain's arm.

He was also the one to come up with an idea that maybe would be helpful. Among the medication the doctor had at his disposal were some that could help to make people go to sleep. He suggested to use that medication on the two sea creatures blocking the entrance to the cave. Now all that was needed was some sort of bait that the shark and the crocodile would eat and that could be used to put the medication in.

For a full day the entire crew on both ships was tasked with fishing. They needed to get enough fish to make sure both the shark and the crocodile would have enough to eat and would eat enough of the medication to fall asleep and not be a threat to the two captains anymore. It took until the evening but finally they had enough fish and the doctor had prepared it with the sleep medication. Their plan could be set in motion.

The next day they took two boats into the canyon. One carrying the two captains and the other carrying the prepared fish. It was steered by one member of each crew who had volunteered to help their captains out and they were to go first and to release the whole net of fish into the water near the cave and wait for the two sea creatures to eat their fill.  
The plan worked perfectly. The water could be seen churning as the crocodile and the shark dug into the fish and very soon after the water was calm again and the two creatures had indeed fallen asleep. But of course they couldn't leave them there like this. They would only stay asleep for a little while and afterwards they surely would be angry that they had been tricked like this. But they didn't want to hurt the two creatures either. Instead they had decided to trap them and move them away from the cave, hoping they wouldn't return.  
The two members of their crew were tasked with trapping the two sleeping sea creatures in the same net they had used to carry the fish and they rowed back through the canyon making sure there was no more threat. The two captains were save for now and they could finally try to find the entrance to the cave. 

*#*#*#*

Roger had stayed with the boys after Rafa had finished his tale for today and this evening it was Mirka who joined him at the bow of the ship, bringing her glass of wine along. He wasn't sure what to expect after she had been rather angry with both him and Roger this morning after the boys had been afraid to go swimming. It seemed she wanted to make sure there would be no more adverse reactions from the children.

“More sharks to your story?”

“No. We moved them... sent them to sleep and moved them out of the way... In the story. The boys will be fine, I think.”

It felt strange and a little embarrassing to find his own words to translate little parts of the story he had been telling to the boys. After all it was a children's story and telling it to another adult seemed a little silly. Mirka however seemed content with the solution that had been found not to scare the boys again. She was smiling.

“Good.”


	8. Day 8

They arrived at Mallorca and the port of Palma the next day early in the morning right after breakfast. Entering the port with its ferries and cruise ships the yacht actually seemed small in comparison. They found their way to the Marina and decided to go their separate ways in exploring the city but to meet back for lunch before goodbyes would be in order – at least temporary. 

Meri and Maribel would leave the yacht today but had promised to be there on the last evening of the holiday Roger and his family spent to go out for one last dinner together. They had responsibilities to attend to now after a whole week of cruising the Mediterranean. But their last evening here would be a Saturday and that meant the two women could spend that evening off to get a chance to say goodbye.  
As it turned out they weren't the only ones leaving though. After their last lunch at the Marina it was only Roger and the boys who were returning to the yacht with Rafa. It had seemed odd earlier today when Roger's wife had taken two large travel bags with her and now Roger was explaining the reason behind it. 

“Mirka is going to stay as well. She will take the girls and we will meet them again in Porto Christo in two days.”

“She doesn't want to stay?”

“It's not about you or the boat or her not feeling welcome or anything. She just wants a chance to spend some time with the girls.”

“She doesn't want to spend the rest of her holidays with you?”

Rafa sounded surprised and just a tiny bit taken aback at the older woman's decision. After all this was a family holiday and now the family was going their separate ways... To him that seemed kind of strange like something was somehow wrong between the couple... Roger however only shrugged and smiled, seeing no problem whatsoever with his wife's decision.

“It's just for two days... Actually I'm glad. She and the girls can do their souvenir shopping and their sightseeing and you and I we stay with the boys. We spend a lot of time together, on and off the tour. Sometimes we need a little time to ourselves... It's nothing unusual.”

The dynamic somehow shifted. Now with their mother not around, the boys were a little more forceful, a little more demanding. Unlike Mirka, Roger showed little interest in playing the stern father around them, making sure they weren't getting too far out of line. It had ended with a dinner of pizza and ice cream that they all felt very full from afterwards. 

The boys had retreated to their room after dinner to play together until it was time for bed and the two men that were now alone on the boat had settled at the stern, both of them nursing a drink and feeling content, sleepy and just a tiny bit nauseous after all that food. Roger was the first to admit listening to the kids t make the dinner plans had not been one of his brightest ideas.

“I'm not used to this.”

“What? Taking care of the boys alone?”

“Eating tons of junk food and feeling miserable afterwards. It's definitely not part of the usual diet...”

Rafa could only wholeheartedly nod at that. Their life style demanded a certain amount of daily exercise and discipline with their diet. These days they weren't having much of either of it. Not that he minded. He was on holiday after all and that allowed for a certain amount of slack. Roger opposite of him was chuckling, sharing he amusing thought that had popped into his mind. 

“I think once we stop, we'll both grow fat.”

“Only speak for yourself.”

“Oh come on! You love to eat.”

“But I get a lot of exercise. Even without the tennis. I have the boat, I have the academy. Lots to do...”

Roger could very well imagine the younger man enjoy himself and his life after tennis when and if it came to it. He was sure Rafa would be able to use his time and that he would be happy with what life would bring for him. But he couldn't help teasing the younger man. It was nice to finally not be the one on the receiving end of a joke. 

“Yeah, well... I still think you'll gain weight. Lots of it.”

“You are a strange person to talk to.”

“It's your own fault. After all you invited me here.”

*#*#*#*

Even now with the sea creatures taken care of and the entrance to the cave unguarded a piece of hard work was waiting for the two pirate captains. They had to dive to get into the cave and neither one of them knew how far hey would have to go It was very dangerous, they both knew that. They had no idea how long it would be to get into the cave and if they would be able to dive that far. If it was too far they would risk to drown.

They were sure they would be able to hold their breath for a little while and the first to feel they couldn't go on any longer was to let the other one know and they would both turn back. If this didn't work out they knew the whole journey had been for noting and both their crews would not be happy about that. After everything they had gone through to get this far, they simply needed to find a way into the cave!  
As soon as they were in the water and had taken a long deep breath, the two men dived. At first there was a little light but the further they got, the less they could see and it was a very scary experience to see the light fade behind them and dive into the dark and unknown, hoping to find a way to the treasure before air ran out on them.

They were in luck though. It took barely thirty seconds before they broke the surface of the water on the other side and reached a small pond that was leading right into the treasure cave. Unfortunately they didn't even know any of that. It was pitch dark inside the cave and they couldn't see a thing. Of course they had come up with a plan for that too, knowing their would be no natural light in that underwater cave. 

Taking anything with them they could light in the cave had been the main challenge but they had come up with an idea that luckily hadn't failed them. They had wrapped two lamps and candles in oiled cloth to keep the water away and had done the same thing with flint ad tinder to actually light the candles and put them in the lamps. The cloth had kept everything dry and soon the cave was illuminated in the flickering light of the candles. 

The walls of the cave were dark and wet. Water was dripping from them and onto the wet ground forming little dark puddles. They needed to be very careful because the ground was slippery. The air in the cave was dank and cold and they were both shivering in their wet clothes. It was not a nice place to be in but they weren't here for the scenery anyway. 

They were here to start their journey of exploring the cave and finding the treasure.


	9. Day 9

The plan for the next two days was to circle the island of Mallorca clockwise and arrive in Porto Christo on the next day where they would meet up with Mirka, the girls and Rafa's family again. It meant the two men and the two boys would spend an additional day together out on sea before they were each united with their families. 

They had stopped for a short and last shopping trip for groceries and had then spent half a day at one of the beaches in the Southeastern part of the island and had then traveled on only to anchor at sea in the late afternoon and give the boys – supervised by their father – another chance for a swim in the ocean. Roger especially had been hoping for all of that excitement and exercise to tire the boys out at least a little but he turned out to be wrong.

They were still very much excited and energetic when it was time for dinner. It made Roger reevaluate and idea he had for tonight's dinner and he decided to run it by Rafa before he actually decided on it not wanting to risk having even more overeager kids on their hands, that were ion a high from a sugar rush... 

“Now with their mother not around I thought we indulge in a bit of bad behavior...”

“I don't know...”

“Chocolate cake for dinner?”

As reluctant as Rafa had been at first, he quickly reconsidered as soon as the word 'chocolate' was mentioned and Roger hadn't expected anything less of the younger man. There was just one tiny piece of discussion left that they quickly came to a consensus about as well, both of them sharing a conspiratorial smile about it.

“That's not bad behavior. That's a good idea. Though I don't think Mirka would like it...”

“I won't tell her, if you don't tell her.”

Dinner had turned into a rather chaotic affair and just as Roger had feared, the cake had done nothing to calm the kids down and make them even a little sleepy. They had enjoyed their dinner but they weren't the least bit tired and even after all that excitement they had today, they still wanted more entertainment for themselves and Roger came up with the perfect idea for what to do after dinner. 

“How about a movie after dinner?”

“Yes! One with pirates! And later more of the pirate story!”

“It will be too late once the movie is over. So you can either watch a movie or have a bedtime story. You can't have both.”

“But we want to!”

Roger shared a rather helpless look with Rafa, hoping for some kind of intervention from the younger man. Even without having been able to understand the conversation between father and sons, Rafa had picked up on the fact that the boys wanted more than their father was willing to allow him. He shrugged in response. After all Roger had been the one to indulge in all this, now he needed to find a way to end it as well. 

“Don't look at me. You started this. You shouldn't have allowed them cake for dinner.”

“Alright then. You get both. Just this once. Don't tell your mother.”

Roger had settled in the boys bedroom watching the Disney movie they had picked with them. Rafa had promised to come by after for the nightly ritual of the bedtime story. Roger couldn't blame him for not wanting to join in on the family moment... or on watching a children's movie in a language he didn't understand. He assumed the younger man was happy for a chance to be all by himself for a little while. There hadn't been too many of those moments until now.

*#*#*#*

The two pirate captains were exploring the cave they had finally found a way into but it was slowly starting to turn into a rather depressing affair. They had been trying to find their way through the cave, following the instructions on their maps for almost an hour now but so far they hadn't been in luck of finding the treasure yet. They were still exploring the cave and had to go back to a previous spot a couple of times now as the map was hard to read in the candle light.

The cave was vast, puddles of water making it difficult to walk without sleeping, narrow stretches needing for them to move forward on their hands and feet and sometimes there were little cliffs and abysses that they had to squeeze past, narrowly avoiding to slip and fall to their doom. They knew it would only be light for another hour or two and they still had to find their way back...

They decided to take another 15 minutes an if they hadn't found the treasure by then they would go back to their ship and try again the next day. Trying to different routes, the first one was a dead end. The second one was winding along and as they held their lamps with the flickering candles high, they could see something glistening and shimmering at the far end.... They had found the treasure!

Both captains quickened their pace and when they came closer they could see a larger pile of gold and jewels waiting for them at the end of the tunnel. The secret treasure was finally theirs! Now all that was left to do was to get it out of the cave and split it up between their two ships. But with a treasure so large they quickly decided looting it was a task for the next day and for more men than just the two of them. 

Even upon returning to their sips and letting the crew know they had found the treasure, very few of the men were willing and able to help because so many of them couldn't swim and were scared of the water. But in order to get the treasure out of the cave and to the ships they needed to dive below the waterline to get into the cave and it would be even harder on their way back because then they would be burdened with the load of all that gold and jewels.

Still the tale of that much gold and that many jewels a dozen men on each ship were willing to take the risk. It would take days before every last piece of the treasure would be safely stored aboard the two ships bu for now both crews and their captains were very happy. They had found what they were looking for and now all that was left to do was take it back home with them. 

*#*#*#*

As they had done most every night since starting the vacation Rafa and Roger settled at the stern of the ship after the story. Now with the bedtime tale almost over, they were both a little saddened or so it seemed. After all the story coming to a close,meant the summer vacation was as well. Roger was the first to comment on that fact, actually in a bit of disbelief to how fast time had been flying by. 

“You'll be back home tomorrow... It's amazing how quickly time passes when you're on holiday. I can't believe we will be going home in less than two days..”

“It's good, I think. It was a good time and we had a good chance to relax. Will be good for the US tournaments.”

“It's not like we're the only ones who were on holidays.”

“But we had the most fun.”

Rafa was grinning along with his statement and Roger couldn't help but smile as well. The younger man wasn't wrong. Of course they couldn't speak for each and every other player on the tour but he could wholeheartedly say that this had been a very nice holiday and way more fun and relaxation than he had initially anticipated. It had been... good – plain and simple. 

“Definitely.”


	10. Day 10

Roger had been a little anxious ever since they had started their day trip on this last full day of their holidays. He was sure they were nearing the home port of Rafa's yacht and the place the younger man lived in. But so far the port had eluded them and Roger was starting to worry they would be late for the meeting with Mirka and the girls. Roger found Rafa at the helm of te boat. He knew he was probably sounding like an impatient and spoiled little brat, but he couldn't help his nervousness. 

“How much longer?”

“Not long. Maybe another hour or so.”

The answer surprised him and caught him a little off guard because Roger had expected a wider time frame. Then again he wasn't really aware of the distances between towns and ports on the island. It left them with a chance for one last swim in the ocean because as soon as they reached the marina, seaside fun was off the table... 

“Oh... Okay. I expected it to be longer... Mirka won't be there until noon... Maybe we could stop? Give the boys another chance for a swim? Somehow I don't think the Marina in Porto Cristo is the right place for that.”

“Sure. We can do that.”

They had stopped and anchored and Roger had stayed with the boys while Rafa had been off to the bow of the ship with some mysterious idea for lunch that Roger hadn't asked any further questions about. The boys stayed in the water for about half an hour before Roger ushered them out of the water and inside for a shower. Telling the boys to go ahead and get ready, he stopped by th kitchen where Rafa had started to prepare lunch for the group. 

“Today you'll have fish.”

“You caught those?”

“Yes.”

“And now we'll eat them?”

“That's the plan. What are you looking at me like that for?”

Roger hadn't even been aware that he had been staring first at the freshly caught fish on the worktops that had yet to be prepared and Rafa who had quite obviously used his time alone to catch that fish. He certainly didn't want to tell the younger man he didn't like the idea of this hunter style meal... Instead he decided on a more careful and diplomatic way to voice his concerns. Rafa however didn't pick up on Roger's concern. Instead he was the butt of yet another joke again. 

“It's just... I don't think I've ever actually eaten anything somebody else caught for me.”

“Is this a special moment for you, Roger? Do you need a tissue?”

“Idiot.”

Roger had actually enjoyed the light lunch of fish and bread and salad, as reluctant as he had been about the idea at first... They had reached the bay of Porto Christo about half an hour too late but Roger was pretty sure his wife wouldn't mind. After all traveling on the sea wasn't an exact science... and in the end he could simply blame it on Rafa's skills at the helm. Maneuvering through the bay now, Roger had a look at the seaside houses on the cliff, curious which one of those was Rafa's home. 

“Which one is yours?”

“That one. And it's not mine. It's a family home.”

Rafa had pointed to one of the houses on the cliff and Roger suddenly remembered that he had fist suggested to simply spend the entire summer vacation on Mallorca. Rafa however hadn't been keen on that idea and had suggested the boat trip instead. As it had been sort of a theme for these holidays, Roger found himself once again unable not to tease the younger man. 

“Which you don't like to stay in?”

“I told you on the second day. I like this boat. I rather stay on it than off it. And this one is actually all mine.”

Reaching the marina in Porto Christo, Mirka was indeed waiting for them with the girls but as it turned out she had been late as well, only arriving some ten minutes earlier. There were hugs an hellos going all around as sibling and mother and sons were reunited and Rafa watched the whole scene with a feeling of fondness in his heart. 

As with last full days of holiday before the travels home started the next day, it was kind of a melancholy atmosphere among the members of their little group now that everything that was left to do for Mirka an Roger was to start packing. There was a finality to the end of this holiday that was different from other summer vacations. But they still had a nice evening out planned that they were looking forward. to.  
The kids were no supposed to come along for the late evening dinner and therefor bedtime was a little earlier today. After all they had to get up early the next day and had a full day of traveling ahead of them tomorrow. It was also the last time Rafa would be telling the pirate story to the boys... 

*#*#*#* 

It had been a long two days of going back and fort between the cave and the ships but finally the last pieces of the magnificent treasure had been taken aboard and been secured in the hold of the ships. They lay deep in the water with their burden now and the two captains knew they needed good weather and for nobody to intercept or attack them. 

With both ships loaded to the brink of their capacity, the travels that had taken only three days on the way to the treasure island now took twice as long on the way back. Of course the captains were very anxious because the slower speed meant that they would not be able to outrun another pirate ship or – even worse – a pirate hinter. It also was a problem if the weather changed because this time a storm would certainly sink their ships... 

But luck and fate seemed to be on their side and for all the trouble that had befallen them on the way to the island they were now rewarded with good weather, steady winds and no ships intercepting their course whatsoever. After almost a week of traveling, they reached their home again – safe and sound. 

Each of them a lot richer than before because they had worked so hard on it and had worked together so well, they reached the port they had started from so many days ago. They spent one last evening in the tavern together, drinking and reminiscing about their journey but then it was back to their original rivalry and they parted way, each taking their own ship and going their separate ways in the morning. 

And that is the end of the tale of the two pirate captains in the Mediteranean going in search of a hidden treasure, fighting pirate hunters, storms and sea monsters but returning victorious and with a lot of riches for each of them from heir perilous and adventurous journey. 

*#*#*#* 

There was a big hello about an hour later when Roger, his family and Rafa met up with Meri and Maribel for dinner. It was a heartfelt and enjoyable evening for the whole group but of course there was also a certain sadness to it as hey would part ways and return to their normal every day routine after tonight. Dinner lasted until close to midnight and it was another half hour of goodbyes, before Rafa, Roger and Mirka returned to the yacht. Tonight, as any other night, the two men settled at the stern while Mirka checked on the kids. 

“That was our last dinner...”

“You make that sound like 'last meal'. It's just the end of a holiday.”

Roger couldn't help but react just a tiny bit irritated at the statement. It was the simple fact that Rafa didn't seem to appreciate what he had here. Growing up on this island and near the water, he was simply used to it. For Roger it was most certainly different. And even though there had been other, very nice vacations, this one had been different... and special. 

“Easy for you to say. You can do this whenever you get time off.”

“Which is not exactly a lot.”

“You could remedy that.”

“Are you telling me to retire?”

“I'm telling you I'm sure you will have a good time and enjoy yourself once that decision is made.”

There was a fond smile on Rafa's face. It was obvious to see the younger man had at least entertained the idea before, though he certainly wouldn't be acting on it any time soon. Roger was sure of that. 

“I never had any doubt about that.”


	11. Time to say goodbye

Roger and his family had spent one last night on the yacht while they were already in the Marina and before they left for the airport in the morning. Just as much as the first day had been a hectic one, the last day was a melancholy one... Everything was already packed and Rafa had offered to drive them to the airport. 

Their flight home was scheduled in three hours time which meant it was about time to leave. They had one last breakfast together and now it was time to return to their every day lives. Preparations for the hardcourt season on the American continent had to be made and soon enough they would meet again but under different circumstances. The kids however seemed to have no sense for the necessity of returning home. Even with the bedtime story finished, especially Leo and Lenny were very reluctant and sad to have to leave. 

“But why do we have to go home?”

“Because every holiday comes to an end. No matter how nice it is. Your mother an I have work, your sisters have school...”

“But that's boring!”

“You'll be fine, boys. I promise.”

Neither one of the two kids seemed to really believe their father, it was plain to see. They didn't like the idea of going home, didn't like the idea of the vacation and the ensuing story time to end and they weren't happy to go back home. But they also knew they had to accept their parent's decision. Instead they had another hopeful wish – they wanted a repeat.

“But we can do this again next year? Please?”

“I'm sure we can. If Rafa will have us that is...”

The younger man nodded as soon as Roger had translated the request for him. Over the course of those last ten days, he had grown fond of Roger's family, especially of the two boys who had been so intently listening to the story he had told them every night. It certainly wasn't something they would do together every year, but he could very well imagine having the boys – and the rest of Rogers family for that matter – with him on the boat again. 

“Of course. You would be very welcome.”

“And then we can have a story with a spaceship and a robot?”

“I can tell you a story like that...”

“No. It'll be a holiday story. Rafa can tell it.”

“I'm afraid you're already spoken for for your next summer holidays.”

“I don't mind.”

They said their goodbyes, hugs going all around and once again it was the boys who were overly excited and enthusiastic saying goodbye to their new found friend and story teller. Roger couldn't help but smile at the sight. He waved at Rafa in goodbye, knowing fully well that the next time they would meet was under different circumstances, in a competitive capacity and as rivals instead of vacation buddies... He didn't mind though – as he had learned during these holidays, he was okay with either of those scenarios. 

“See you in a week or two.”

\- FIN -


End file.
